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PIH Health Partners with Anthem Blue Cross and Six Other LA & Orange County Health Systems to Launch Vivity

Unique Product Created by Insurer and Seven Health Systems that Uniquely Aligns Care

PIH Health has joined Anthem Blue Cross and six other top hospital systems to offer Anthem Blue Cross Vivity, an integrated health system in Los Angeles and Orange counties. This is a first in the nation partnership between an insurer and seven competing hospital systems that will align to enhance the health of all Anthem Blue Cross Vivity members, and also share financial risk and gain.

The seven hospital systems – which all have hospitals ranked in the top 30 in Los Angeles County by U.S. News & World Report – are PIH Health, Cedars-Sinai, Good Samaritan Hospital, Huntington Memorial Hospital, MemorialCare Health System, Torrance Memorial Medical Center and UCLA Health.

“This is an exciting and historic time,” said Pam Kehaly, west region president for Anthem Blue Cross. “This innovative venture will create a foundation to significantly advance the medical delivery system, simplifying the care experience and creating a structure with aligned incentives to eliminate waste and redundancy and improve overall health.”

Vivity continues the move away from traditional fee-for-service reimbursements that may incentivize increasing the volume of medical procedures performed by providers, and continues the trend of moving toward a structure that financially rewards activities to keep patients healthy.

This is just the first step in aligning the delivery system. Longer term value will come from efficiency and effectiveness improvements enabled by such things as a common electronic health records system, shared care management systems, joint wellness resources, etc.

“Our goal at PIH Health is to be the health and wellness partner for our community, and Anthem Blue Cross Vivity helps us extend our reach and improve the quality of care and the patient experience at a reasonable price,” said Jim West, PIH Health President and Chief Executive Officer.

Anthem Blue Cross Vivity will provide members with a simpler experience and convenient access to some of the best primary care doctors, specialists and hospitals in the region at an affordable price. The seven hospital systems and their affiliated medical groups have built a network of doctors that provide both quality care and affordable prices to Vivity members in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

In the creation of Vivity, accessing healthcare has been greatly simplified and costs have been made vastly more predictable. When Vivity members go to the doctor, have a medical procedure or pick up a prescription, all they pay is their co-pay. They won’t have to worry about meeting deductibles or deciphering complicated medical bills.

CalPERS, the nation’s second largest purchaser of health benefits and an early adopter of healthcare system innovations, has already agreed to use Vivity network doctors and hospitals within their Select HMO network in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Large group brokers can start requesting proposals on October 1, with coverage starting on January 1, 2015.

This announcement is the culmination of a year’s worth of work. Each party worked diligently to come together and develop an innovative way to provide Vivity members with convenient access to quality care at an affordable price.

The name Vivity captures a fresh perspective on healthcare. Coined from vivify, a verb meaning “to enliven or animate,” Vivity speaks to the energized team of providers coming together to deliver a uniquely people-centric offering. The name’s root in the Latin vivere, “to live,” highlights what Vivity is all about: impacting the lives of Southern Californians by giving them access to the highest-quality care—as well as choice within and control over their experience.